License-number plate for automobiles



G. S, RAVEN.

UGENSE NUMBER PLATE EOE AUTOMOBILES,

APPLICATION FILED EEB. 17, 1921.

CCD-Za il Eli 2x1/@125 l Z UNITED" STATI-:s lPari-:151

T OFFICE.

GLENN S. RAVEN, OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

LICENSE-Nolwenn PLATE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

1 Application sied February 17, 1921.

To all whom t 'may concern.'

e it known 'thatI, GLENN S. RAVEN, a

Icitizenof the United States, residing a;

- character which bears permanent identifica :and .which may be tionnumbers o r symbols, permanently assigned to a particular car. AVfurther object is to provide 'novell and simple periodicalidentification means, which may -from time-to time be renewed or re-vplaced, for example, at intervals corresponding to the regularlicenseperiods. And a further Objectis to generally improve, siniplify, andcheapen the cost of the production of automobiler number plates.

-attain these .objects by they means set forth is'the detaileddescription as follows, and as illustrated by the accompanyingl drawing;in which- Figure l is a face. view of the license plate, to which myimprovementis applied. Fig.

2 is a vertical cross-section, taken on line.

yA-A of Fig. 1.

Figs Band 4 are similar broken face views of the mainv i` late,'uponwhich are mounted slightly modified plates. And Figs. 5.-.and 6 are edgeviews of the corresponding year plates,sliown in Figs. 3 and 4.

n the drawing, 2 represents the permanent number er license plate, whichis preferlsuch as ably subst-antially rectangular., the several cornersthereof having the usual perforations 2', for the insertion of attachingmeans,

upper andllower corners of through which similar stronger fasteners suchas bolts 2b may be insertedfor attaching the plate to an automobile. Theplate 2 preferably bears the`permanent identification numbers orassignedperinanently t0 a car, tothe end that, the particular car mayalways be identied, .by the letters and figures stamped, embossed orotherwise permanently applied to said plate, as AE246 (see Figa/1),which denotes that ,the identification number is 246, of series AE. It.is lunderstood, however, that any-0ther suitable numbers orSpecification of Letters Patent.

.car for several years' land lower ends Vthe vthe main plates year`reduced lower end portions 3fL l 4permit-the'reduced end 3a of tl nails0r wires. 2fdesignates a plurality of slotted openings disposed near thel 'struction and characters, which may be- Patentedsept. 6, i921. SerialNo. 445,687.

characters may be employed for designatingtlie .identification series,if desired.

however, of the essence ofmy consists specifically ofa identificationplate, be designated the plates intend or stated-f license plates'2,together with the tification characters,

which will hereinafter vyear-plate 3. These 3. are preferablydetachable, andare permanent idenmay be carried by a y without renewingor, changing. The year-plate Y3 'consists of a strip of sheetmetal,,theupper'end portion 3 of which is broader than the lower endportion 3, for providing relatively prominient lslu'iulders 3b,

and adjacent the upper plate 3. is provided with horizontal slots 3,which preferably coin-. cide with the correspondingslots 3 of the plate2. This provisionis-made' so that the bolts 2b, which are einployed'for.securely fasteningtlie main .plate to the vehicle, may also hold theyear-plates 3; from accidental loss, or unauthorized detachment. Inorder toconveniently apply the year-plates 3 to 2, the latter areprovided adjacent the right hand permanent identification character,with parallel horizontal slits 2d and 2e, the said slits preferablycorresponding in length to the breadth of the of the yearplates. Inorder to facilitate the insertion of the year-plate, tlie'portion l2f'ofthe plate 2 lying between the slits -2b andv 2e is preferably pressed orbent rearwardly,'out of the general plane-of the plate 2, suflicientlyto 1e year-plate to be inserted downwardly, first through the slit, 2f1then across the front face of the oli"- set portion 2f, and finallythrough vthe slit 2e, until the shoulders 2vb are stopped by the topedge of the`portion/2f. By this "con-y arrangement, the year platesall-.being preferablystainpedor cut to the samesize and shape, maybereadily, quickly and interchangeably applied to' the plates 2.

he upper and lower ends 3 year-plates preferably extend tance above andbelowa lshort dis-- the top and bottom novel and simple periodical'-edu-t0 beA renewed at -tlie regular periods, while theV main andA 3? ofthe i margins of the plate 2, and these may be left in'that condition,or either or both ofthe projecting ends maybe-'folded and clenched uponthe face-of the plate 2, as shown in State will' issue the upper yearslife.

plates 3 constructed and. arranged, as heremay be accomplished `3 areprepared in advance Jfor one or more years, and it is only necessary forthe owner of a car, when applying for a' renewal of his license, toassure the tat@ authorities that he still has the permanent plate 2,which contains-the record identification characters, and upon payment ofthe license fee, the bearing the number (as 23) corresponding to the newyear. In the preferred form, m ermanent identification plates 2, alsobear the name of the state by which the li'v cense is' granted, as NYfor New York, OHIO, and PEN-N or PA for Pennsylvania, and so on. f

The permanent plates 2 should be made of relatively heavy and durablemetal, which Will last for a number of years, and the year-plates 3should be made of a material and gage that will insurel at least a fullBy the provision, of the yearin shown and described, the renewal ofautomobile licenses from year to year may be effeced at a relatively lowcost to the State, aswell as to the owners of the cars. The applying andremoving of my year-plates 3 consumes but a ew minutes time, an'

without requiring the removal of thel'permanent plates 2, or anyalteration or change in either the permanent orremovable plates. EHaving thus described my' invention, what I claim, is l 1. Thecombinationwith the main license plate having spaced horizontal slitsnear one end, of a detachable year-plate which bears a year number, saidyear-plate havingl its lower end portion reduced in breadthcorresponding to the length of said slits, and end portion thereof beingbroader than said slits and provided with shoulders which aline with theuppermost slit in the main plate, the metal of the main plate lyingbetween said slits. f Y

to him a new year-platethe said shoulders resting upon 2. Thecombination with the main number plate, bearing permanent identilicationcharacters, and having parallel slits beyond. said characters, of adetachable plate bearing characters denoting the year for which alicense is granted, said detachable plate having a relatively broadupper end and a narrower lower end, and having oppositely facingshoulders which socket against the portions of the permanent plateadjacent the ends of one of said slits, and means for preventingl theaccidental detachment of vthe year-plate.

3. rlhe combination with the permanent license plate, said plate havingspaced horizontal slits outside ofthe ield of the permanentidentification" characters, and the metal of said plate lying betweensaid-slits being bent backwardly and means for securing said plate to anautomobile, of a year plate having its longitudinal axis in verticalplane, the lower half of said year plate having a v.breadthsubstantially equal `to the length of said slits adapted to be insertedthrough the slits for exposing a portion which bears a year number, theupper half of said plate being .broader for providing lateral shoulderswhich engage the top surface of the bent portion of the r permanentplate adjacent the uppermost slit, and having top and bottom openings toreceive said securing means.

4. A license plate Comprising a main plate Vhaving spaced horizontalslits near one end, and slots above and below said slits a detachableyear-plate, having a length substantially equal to the breadth of themain plate, and having its lowermost portion reduced inwidthcorresponding to the length of said slits adapted to be passeddownwardly through the said slits, said yearplate'having lateral`shoulders which'project beyond`l the ends of one of said slits Jforpreventing gravitation of said plate, andl having slots whichcoincidewith the slots' of the main plate for receiving the fastening partswhich secure the main plate to the automobile.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

GLENN S. RAVEN.

so d'

